Centre plans defence unit in Gopalpur

SNS | May 27, 2015 8:40 am

The Modi government has plans of setting up a defence manufacturing unit at Gopalpur in Odisha and a international standard skill development centre of excellence at Bhubaneswar. The two will provide training in hydro-carbon sector, informed Union Minister of state for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan.

Addressing a press conference here today to highlight achievements of the NDA government on completion of one year in office, Pradhan said preliminary talks are on for setting up a defence production unit at Gopalpur over the land acquired by the Tata Group. The steel major could partner the defence production unit, he said.

Rejecting the charge of central neglect, Pradhan said Odisha is poised to be country&’s oil and gas hub with Dhamra and Paradip being the gateway for the sector. A world class skill development centre in the hydro carbon sector will be established in a year&’s time in Bhubaneswar. It has huge potential for job creation, he claimed.

The petroleum ministry has lined up projects entailing an investment of over rupees one lakh crore in Odisha, he said. He referred to the IOCL refinery at Paradip and the petro chemical complex.

SAIL may takeover the Kalinga Iron Works plant at Badbil. Modernisation of Rourkela steel plant and its expansion had been completed, he noted. Odisha has been a focus state as far as the NDA government is concerned, he said while informing that the new insurance schemes launched by the central government had attracted over 27 lakh people in the state.

Corruption which was a major issue under the UPA regime has been tackled, the economy is back on rails and the image of India abroad has improved significantly after the NDA government assumed power, he claimed. The fight against black money has started yielding results, he said.